In My Neighbor's Bed

Ch. 22: Filling Time

Mrs. Henderson. Mrs. Henderson. Mrs. Henderson. Like calling Bloody Mary in a darkened bathroom, I summoned her as I pushed open the door and forced myself outside.

Unfortunately, it worked. All too soon, the familiar, fake smile returned to my face. As I turned back towards Mason I noticed the slight pain in his eyes as he looked at it. But we both knew I needed to use it now. This was how things had to be.

"Bye, Mason! Thanks for the pizza," I chirped, giving a small wave. "Feel free to drop by ours sometime for coffee."

Although he clearly wasn't thrilled with it, he did his part to keep up the charade. "Will do, Mags. Say 'hello' to your husband for me."

Mags. A small pain stabbed at my heart as I heard the familiar nickname. It was what everyone called me around here. Phil, the neighbors, even Eli and Ronnie. But not Mason. At least, not when we were really together. I wondered if this was how it felt for him whenever I faked my smile.

"You know I will!"

With reluctance, I turned my back on that house that made me feel safe and warm and the man who had brought an honest smile to my face. My heart was practically screaming in anger at the betrayal as, step by step, I increased the distance between us. And as his door closed softly behind me, I swear I could feel it breaking.

The sky was blue and clear, barely a cloud in sight. The sun was warm and mild, bathing everything in a soft, shimmering light. I was almost offended. How dare it be such a beautifully sunny day while misery gathered around me like storm clouds. It was almost like the universe was mocking me.

As reluctant as I was to return home, I couldn't help the relief I felt as it finally came into view. I hurried inside and closed the door behind me, letting out a long, exhausted sigh. I pressed my back against the door and slid to the floor.

How could one day feel both so long and so short? How did the time for me to leave Mason's home arrive in the blink of an eye? And, more importantly, how the hell was it only three o'clock right now?

It seems that in my excitement to have my little rendezvous with Mason, I completely neglected the fact that there would still be a whole day to fill after I left his house. And I'd made absolutely zero plans for it. The chores would only take me a couple of hours at most, and I highly doubted that this would be one of the rare days Phil would actually come home for dinner. Especially after our little fight this morning.

Which left me in the awkward position of having nothing to do. A fact that only seemed to double the misery I felt being home.

It was stupid. Why did I have to come home so early? Goddamn nosy neighbors. So desperate to bring some spice to their boring vanilla lives that they'd look for it anywhere. If it wasn't for them, I could have stayed at Mason's.

He certainly didn't seem to mind the idea. Hell, he was even the one to suggest I stay over. Maybe not in so many words, but he at least implied it. And based on his reluctance when I had to leave earlier, something told me he wouldn't mind the idea too much even if he didn't.

But all this was just an "if," of course. The reality was that the neighbors did exist. That they would start rumors if I stayed at Mason's too long. And I would be putting Eli at risk by doing so.

I let out another heavy sigh, hugging my knees to my chest. I rested my chin on them as I stared into the emptiness of the entryway.

Eli... I couldn't even visit him today. He'd probably had his treatment by now and it always left him feeling so sick and weak afterward. Aside from it already being hard for me to see him like that, the last thing his body needed was the added stress of my emotional baggage.